Crating means for conduits



Se t. 2, 1930. Q A 1,774,641

' cnu'me umns FOR GONDUITS Fil ed Aug. 12, 1929- INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 2, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT orrics LEON H. FRANK, OF DETROIT, MIGHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO BULL DOG ELECTRIC PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA CRATING MEANS FOR CONDUITS Application filed August 12, 1929.

The present invention relates to means for packing or bundling certain products for shipment, and to a bundle or package of such products as fixed together.

Among the objects of the invention is a simple, cheap and effective means for fixing together groups of articles in such way as to protect projecting parts of the articles and at the same time provide a neat, eflective package.

Another object is means adapted to cooperate with certain portions of certain kinds of articles to utilize such portions as means for securing the articles together and at the some time, to protect parts which might easily become damaged in shipment.

Still other objects will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which 7 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a group of straight sections of conduit fixed together by the grouping means.

Fig. 9. is a section 011 the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 but showing a siight modification.

Fig. 4. is another sectional view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a still further modification.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View similar to Fig. 1 but showing a group of elbow or bend sections of the conduit.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 5 but showing a group of T-sections of the conduit.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the tie members, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6 but on an enlarged scale.

As indicated in the drawing, sheet metal conduit for enclosing electric wiring preferably consists of rectangular conduit sections, each provided at the ends with a flange by means of which it may be connected to another section to produce a conduit of the desired length.

In shipping such sections of this kind of conduit, it is necessary to protect these flanges against damage in order that they may fit together properly, when put into use. Heretofore, such shipping has been done in crates of one kind or another or in suitable boxes Serial No. 385,252.

in order that the flanges may not become bent or otherwise damaged in transit.

The present invention eliminates the use of such crates or boxes and permits the shipmeut of a number of similar sections of the conduit without crating, while maintaining the flanges undamaged. The means devised for this purpose and formin the subject matter of the present application consists of an element which cooperates with the flanges to protect the latter and also to utilize them, as means For holding the several articles together.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1, there is shown a group ot five straight sections of the conduit 15, each provided with a flange 16 at its ends and arranged in parallel relation. After the sections have been so arranged, a member 17 is'siid over the flanges, indicated in Figure l and this member is preferably oi the form shown in Figure 7. In the latter figure, it is shown to consist of a strip of metal of suiiicient stillness, having its edges bent over to forms channel portion 18 opening inwardly so to receive the flanges 16 oi" the conduit. One of these members 17 1s sl.

of the group embracing is secured against dicpl means of the screws 19 passing thio a le openings 20 in the memb-e' l? i i.- rough one oi the previously preparet nings in the flange of the end member of the group. As the member 17 is proportiouec to fit snugly over the flanges, the group thus formed he comes substantially "-igid unit and may be handled as such.

Figure 5, as stated above, shows a group of elbows or bend elements secured together in similar fashion by the memiiiers 1.7.

Figure 6 shows a group of 'i"-sections 353, also secured together by the members 1? and in this case, three 01" the latter are used instead of two, as in the previous illustration.

It ispreferred to provide the members 17 with additional openings 20 which register with the holes in the flanges oi the intermediate members of a group in order that one or more of the members may be removed from the package and the screw 19 inserted in one of the other holes to maintain the remaining members of the group firmly fixed together. Other means of accomplishing a like result may readily be devised and such an operation may be readily accomplished by bending down the flange 18 beyond the last article in the group after some have been removed.

Instead of securing the member 1'? in place, as indicated, by means of the screw 19. the end of the member may be extended beyond the flanges 18 to form a tongue 17 which may be bent over and under the flange 1(3 of the conduit member, as shown in Fig. 3.

A still further modification is shown in Fig. 1 and in this case, a short strap member 1? is fastened to the member 1? and extends beyond the end thereof and beyond the flange 16 and is bent over the two ends, as shown in this figure.

Other means for securing the parts together may readily occur to those skilled in the art and other means are indeed contemplated.

NOW having described the invention and the preferred forms of embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that H said invention is to be limited, not to the speeiiic details herein described and illustrated, but only by the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim 1. In combination with a plurality oi sheet metal conduit sections having flanges at their ends, a grouping device comprising means for embracing closely the correspomling flanges of the members oi a lilOlll of such conduit sections, and means for preventing displacement of said member.

2. In combination with a plurality of sheet metal conduit sections having flang at their ends, a grouping device c'mprising' a relatively stiii metal strip having its edges turned inwardly to produce channels adapted to slide over and protect said flanges, and means for fixing said strip against displacement from said flanges.

3. As a new article a group of like sections of flanged sheet metal conduit arranged in parallel relation and having (.O11G":J0lltlll1g flanges of the several sections secured together by means of channeled members embracing said flanges and fixed against displacement.

-l. is a new article a grown of like sections of flanged sheet metal conduit arranged in parallel relation and having c rrespom'ling flanges of the several sections secured together by means of channeled llltfl'i'llJQlrj embracing said flanges and fixed again displacement, said channel members having means whereby intermediate members of the group may be fixed against displacement.

LEON H. FRAQK. 

